Late at night, the Cloudcrest Apartments were shrouded in deathly silence.
Gu Chengyu pushed open the door to the secondary bedroom, carrying the heavy scent of alcohol and the chill of the night air.
Only a dim bedside lamp was on in the room, outlining the small, slightly raised form under the covers.
Su Qianqian was already asleep. Her jet-black hair fanned out across the pillow, making her delicate face appear even more luminous and porcelain-like.
Her long eyelashes rested quietly, her breathing soft and shallow. She looked pure and utterly defenseless.
Normally, if he hadn't showered or brushed his teeth, if he still carried the smell of alcohol and smoke, no matter how fiercely the restlessness stirred within him, no matter how much he wanted her, he would restrain himself. He would never touch her like this, afraid of tainting her.
But now...
Gu Chengyu stood by the bed, his gaze heavy as he stared at her sleeping face.
Alcohol and a twisted sense of possessiveness burned in his veins.
The words "dirty" and "don't like" circled in his mind like a curse, driving him to want to use the most direct method, to recklessly mark her from the inside, to overwrite all the disdain and distance that filled him with panic.
He tore off his shirt and tossed it carelessly to the floor. Then, lifting a corner of the duvet, he slid directly inside.
The girl's nightgown was thrown from the bed onto the floor. Her slender waist was lifted, and soon her delicate undergarments followed.
His large hand encircled her tender waist, his thumb and forefinger digging into the hollow of her back, while his other hand began to explore freely...
Su Qianqian furrowed her delicate brows, whimpering unconsciously as she drowsily half-opened her eyes.
When she saw the man buried against her, her small nose instinctively wrinkled. With the soft, sleepy quality of someone just awakened, she mumbled,
"Mmm... A-Yu... It smells bad... all alcohol... Don't..."
Before her complaint could finish, her voice abruptly turned into a sharp cry, "Ah—!"
"Think it smells bad?"
Gu Chengyu's low, hoarse voice rang out, laced with barely suppressed malice. "Think I'm dirty? Hmm?"
Su Qianqian was fully awake now. Her small hands pushed futilely against his chest, her voice trembling with tears and fear.
"A-Yu, what's wrong with you? Don't be like this... I'm scared..."
Gu Chengyu pinched her chin, forcing her to look at him, while his other hand began its rough exploration, leaving fingerprints on her skin.
"Scared now?"
"Too late."
Tears welled up in Su Qianqian's eyes, her small hands clutching frantically at the sheets beneath her.
Her skin was too delicate, utterly unable to withstand his strength.
"No, A-Yu, it hurts..." She tried to soften his heart.
Yet the man didn't pause for a moment, his hands and his movements growing even more reckless.
It was as if he wanted to prove something through this, or perhaps, to destroy something.
...
...
...
The violent storm finally subsided.
The bedroom was filled with the lingering scent of passion.
The expensive silk duvet had long since slipped to the floor in the chaos, lying in a crumpled heap.
Gu Chengyu casually grabbed a thin blanket and threw it over Su Qianqian.
The blanket only draped loosely over her waist and abdomen, covering nothing, revealing the ambiguous marks on her chest and inner thighs.
Su Qianqian lay limp on the disheveled bed, her body still trembling uncontrollably, like a delicate flower that had been thoroughly ravaged.
Her almond-shaped eyes were glazed over, staring unfocused at the ceiling, without even the strength to lift a finger.
Another tear slid from the corner of the girl's reddened eye, a testament to her recent ordeal.
Gu Chengyu stood by the bed, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. Looking at her utterly vulnerable state, he felt a wicked sense of satisfaction.
Thought he was dirty? Well, she still had to lie obediently beneath him, letting him reduce her to this.
Ignoring the faint discomfort in his own heart, he said nothing. Unlike usual, he didn't carry her to the bathroom. He simply turned coldly and walked straight to his master bedroom.
Soon, the sound of running water came from the master bathroom.
On the bed in the secondary bedroom, Su Qianqian was left alone, lying in a state of disarray and exhaustion, her fine tremors taking a long time to subside.
...
The atmosphere at Cloudcrest Apartments had dropped to freezing point.
Since that night, Gu Chengyu's attitude towards Su Qianqian had become conflicted.
That bit of tenderness and doting in his heart remained. Every time he saw her pitiful, wronged expression, he still instinctively wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
But the moment he remembered her drunken truth-telling, his heart ached unbearably, filled with a sense of humiliation. Instead, he armored himself with an even more overbearing and arrogant demeanor.
As for Su Qianqian, she gradually developed a stubborn streak from her initial fear, grievance, and guilt.
Every time recently, he had disregarded her wishes, acting like a mad dog in bed, hurting her so much.
The marks—fingerprints and kisses—on her soft skin never fully faded. As soon as the old ones healed, new ones immediately covered them, each touch bringing a faint ache.
Not only did he not apologize, but he also wore a cold, fierce expression all day long.
The two began a silent cold war.
Living under the same roof, yet they hardly spoke anymore.
Meals were eaten in silence; in the living room, they occupied separate corners.
Only at night would he sneak into the secondary bedroom, forcing himself on her, often not leaving until late.
She finally understood just how much he had cherished her before, how much restraint he had exercised.
The so-called favored son of fortune really could play all night, never repeating the same move, and the key was he could go to the office the next day as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, she hadn't been able to go to school for two weeks now.
One evening, Su Qianqian finally couldn't take it anymore.
She stood at the door of the master bedroom, watching Gu Chengyu who was working on his tablet inside, and spoke up: "I want to move out."
Gu Chengyu's fingers, which had been tapping on the keyboard, paused.
He lifted his head, his gaze cold and stern as it swept over her. "What did you say?"
"I said, I want to move out."
Su Qianqian repeated, trying to make herself appear more resolute. "The school has dormitories. I can apply to live on campus."
"Not allowed."
Gu Chengyu refused without a second thought, his voice cold and hard. "Go back to your room."
"Why not?" Su Qianqian was provoked by his attitude, her small face tightening.
"You ignore me, you're mean to me, why can't I move out? I don't want to live here anymore!"
"Don't want to live here?" Gu Chengyu put down the tablet, stood up, and walked step by step towards her. His tall frame brought an overwhelming sense of pressure. "Su Qianqian, have you forgotten who you belong to? Without my permission, you're not going anywhere."
"I am not your possession!" Su Qianqian tilted her head back, the rims of her eyes slightly red, but she stubbornly refused to back down.
You treat me like this—cold during the day, clinging to me at night. I'm just your tool for releasing desires! I want to break up!
"Break up?" Gu Chengyu let out a sneer, though fury churned in his eyes.
He suddenly reached out, grabbing her wrist with such force it made her cry out in pain. "Do you think you get to decide that?"
He yanked her into the bedroom, slammed the door shut behind them, and pressed her against it. His other hand pulled down her spaghetti strap, revealing the soft skin beneath, still bearing the faint marks of fingerprints.
“These,” he said, staring at the marks, his eyes dark and frightening, his tone growing even more sinister, “even if I made them, so what?”
"Every inch of you belongs to me. Hmm? I can't touch what's mine?"
"You bastard!" Su Qianqian was infuriated by his unreasonable words. Tears fell uncontrollably as she struggled with both hands and feet.
“Let me go! You're hurting me! Gu Chengyu, you madman!”
"Madman?" Gu Chengyu lowered his head and fiercely kissed the delicate...
His breath was scorching, his voice muffled, "Yes, I am a madman!"
"Move out? Don't even think about it! In this lifetime, you can only stay by my side! Even if I am tainted, even if you don't like it, you'll have to endure it!"
"By what right?" Su Qianqian cried out in questioning.
"By the right of me being Gu Chengyu. I have that right." He growled, ignoring her resistance, pinning her against the door and lifting her waist.
!
!!!
The only sounds left in the entire room were the girl's hysterical sobs and the ambiguous sounds.
